


Anyone Can Be A Father, But.

by agentsimmons



Series: Mutants and Monsters [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom, X-Men (Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Family Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Gen, Kid Charles Xavier, Kid Fic, Medical Inaccuracies, Non-Linear Narrative, Parent Tony Stark, Pre-Avengers (2012), Pre-Slash, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-27
Updated: 2016-01-27
Packaged: 2018-05-16 11:55:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5827639
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agentsimmons/pseuds/agentsimmons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sooner or later, every relationship has to be defined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Anyone Can Be A Father, But.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm absolutely floored by the interest in this series already! I guess the prompter struck on something! It's now a little overwhelming as I attempt to bring it to life in a decent enough way :3 But thank you so much for all of the kudos, comments, hits, etc. so far. (Original prompt can be found in Series Summary.) 
> 
>  
> 
> **This one takes place approximately four months after _Baby Blues_.**

Tony Stark is an impulsive person.

And, yes, he's more than aware of this little… well, some people would say flaw, but he would say quirk.

Adopting a baby when he's not married, when he would still rather chase a hot nanny around a room than hire an upstanding one, and when he's still told over and over again he's barely a functioning adult himself is one of the more impulsive decisions he's made in his life. It hasn't been an easy adjustment, not to mention the tiring effort to get full custody of Charles which he finally has, but at the same time it's been a reminder that sometimes his impulsive decisions are the best.

Something about being impulsive works out in his favor a good eighty percent of the time. Hell, he'd even say ninety. The other ten percent of the time he can wing it and usually get by without too much consequence. At the very least he's gotten out of tighter jams than learning how to make a bottle and change a diaper and play house in general.

And when he's lying in bed like this, alone with his thoughts, Tony is inclined to almost admit that he's glad he made the choice. He's almost even inclined to wonder at how he's already starting to struggle to remember his life before Charles came into it. There's even that small, strange part of him that wonders if Charles was always meant to be his… Charge? Honorary kid? Surrogate son? He sighs because he hasn't quite figured that one out yet.

As if just to be contrary and test Tony’s altruism Charles starts crying from the makeshift nursery he'd converted his large master closet into – because Tony has enough self-awareness to realize he's not the kind of guy to trek the distance from his master to the nearest guest room when a baby starts crying at…

“JARVIS, what time is it?” He mumbles to the smart home AI that he's slowly been upgrading. Had he really not managed to fall back asleep, thanks to his own restless thoughts, after Charles’ last fussy stirring at three?

**It is 4:28 a.m.**

Tony becomes a little more alert at that since Charles really shouldn't be crying again already. He sits up and looks toward the general direction of the closet-turned-nursery. “Low lights,” he says and JARVIS complies – and Tony maybe has a small moment of _hell yeah I'm a genius_ regarding the AI.

He gets up slowly and moves toward the small room. Once there he immediately goes to the crib and peers over at Charles. After a few mores seconds of eardrum shattering wails – which thankfully Tony is mostly immune to due to his penchant for listening to rock music at ‘inhumane’ volumes – Charles goes quiet as a mouse and opens his glistening eyes. His tiny chest heaves up and down in an effort to regain his breath after all that exerted lung power, but he seems otherwise suddenly okay.

Tony chuckles raspily. “Sometimes I think you _know_ when da- uh…” He fumbles for what feels like the millionth time in recent weeks and chuckles again as if to cover his blunder. “I think you somehow know when I'm awake and just want the attention, little guy.”

As if understanding what Tony has just said Charles smiles wide, almost mischievously really, and he can see one of the bits of white that have started to cut through the boy's gums.

“Your teeth bothering you, champ?” Tony hazards a guess and starts to reach across the crib for Charles’ teething rattle when suddenly Charles’ face wrenches and he starts to shriek again.

This time Tony doesn't find any humor in the situation. On the contrary he's filled with worry and the rattle is forgotten. He carefully scoops Charles into his arms in an effort to calm him. He bounces a little on his heels and shushes him. He then leans his face closer to the boy's head and that's when the worry turns to outright fear.

"JARVIS, time to test that that biothermal scanner upgrade, buddy," Tony says as he reaches for the baby's blanket and hurries back into his bedroom. "Charles is burning up. What's his temperature read?"

**Current temperature is 101 degrees Fahrenheit, adjusted for margin of error and residual body heat from your person.**

Tony's eyes widen at the prospect and he studies Charles. He doesn't seem sick in any other way, but he's not a doctor and panic would be stronger than logic in this moment even if he were. He rushes to the bedside phone and calls Pepper because hers is the first number programmed on speed dial. He then calls Happy and his driver-slash-bodyguard is there by time Tony is able to dress himself and Charles appropriately for a trip to the hospital.

"It's okay, Charlie," he sooths him the entire way there. "It's going to be okay, kiddo." He's keenly aware that it's himself he's trying to reassure.

As it turns out, it _is_ okay and Tony can't recall the last time he's felt such genuine relief.

"He's fine and the fever has been treated. As far as I can determine Charles' fever seems to have been caused by a severe headache," the doctor says to him, Pepper and Happy, when they're admitted into the pediatric ward. "Now, I am concerned that given the amount of muscle activity and the fever, your son may need to be monitored for recurring migraines," the doctor continues.

Tony barely registers anything past 'he's fine' as he steps quickly over to the small crib in the examination room and lets his relief wash over him at the sight of his peacefully sleeping _son_.

"That's what you are," he breathes out any remaining doubt in a whispered sigh, not caring that the others don't understand what he's saying or the thoughts running through his mind. He knows it has to be true. He hasn't had Charles long, but it would have been a punch to the gut just as much if Charles was his own child if anything had been seriously wrong with him.

Tony gently reaches down and strokes a finger down Charles' arm until it reaches his hand. The young boy instinctively latches onto it without otherwise stirring.

"Don't scare daddy like that again," Tony admonishes softly.

At this Charles does stir a little and his cherry red lips – lips that Tony thinks will be either the envy or desire of many someday should they stay that red – quirk a little until he seems to be smiling. Tony feels a warm throb in his own head and for a brief second could almost swear he can hear Charles' gibberish voice speak the iconic, "da-da." Only the baby is still sleeping and he's sure the others would have reacted if that were the case. Tony figures he must have imagined it given his emotional state.

He won't recall the odd moment until a later date, as the next day Charles refers to him as his dad aloud and the night before is forgotten amid Tony's excitement and blossoming paternal instincts and pride.


End file.
